1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention describes a method to convert ashes or other remains of the cremation (such as bone fragments) into solid, durable objects and/or ornamental products such as composite, coloring and paints.
2. Description of Related Art
Cremation has been used worldwide for many centuries by many societies. The method has been chosen over burial either because of religious reasons or the convenience of reducing a body mass into ashes. The ashes can last indefinitely, primarily because ashes contain inorganic matters, which will never spoil. Traditionally, the method of cremation has been practiced in eastern societies such as among Hindus in India and a large sector of Buddhist followers. The cremation practice is becoming more popular among western countries including the United States in the recent years, and cremation currently accounts for 24% of all final dispositions in the United States.
Cremation is also being used with increasing numbers for deceased pets too.
Traditionally, ashes resulting from cremation have been placed and stored in closed containers, called urns. These ash samples are normally a very small fraction of the cremation residue. As ash, they are very fine powdery materials and can spread readily into dust. As a result if the container is broken or ash is poured out accidentally, it will be very difficult if not impossible to collect them back into the container. Consequently, the containers of ash samples are normally kept in a secure place to avoid spillage. These secure locations are normally out of view.
The need exists for a method to convert remains to a solid, durable object that not only has spiritual and moral values, but it is appealing to the eyes and can have also functional and decorative properties.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a method to convert ashes or other remains of the cremation (such as bone fragments) into solid and durable objects such as glass, ceramics, clay like objects or embedded into polymers such as epoxies, metals or variety of cementaceous materials such as Portland cement or plaster. Another objective of the present invention is to formulate paints and colors that in part contain ash, and are used to create paintings, drawings and colorings. It should be noted that for the sake of simplicity, the word solid from now on covers all the claimed products of glass, ceramics, clay-based materials, all composites, colors, paints, and shades that contain cremation ash. These solid objects can be made to be functional such as decorative jewelry, glass containers, ceramics or clay wares, or non-functional, such as abstractive shaped art forms and paintings. It must be clear that the present invention is not limited to any shape and forms of the final product because unlimited shapes and forms can be fabricated. The final product can also be machined into other forms or be framed in the case of paintings.
Additionally, the present invention allows the cremation residue to become an object that not only has spiritual and moral values, but it is appealing to the eyes and can have also functional and decorative properties.
Still is another objective of the present invention to establish a data base for maintaining all the pertaining information about the deceased and the product that was made thereafter.
The residue from the cremation process which is primarily inorganic is used to produce a variety of solid objects including but not limited to glass, ceramics, or a clay based materials, composites and paint and colorings. The inorganic residue may be in part or wholly selected from ashes or bony remains. Both, bottom ash (normally left at the bottom of cremation chamber), or fly ashes (very fine ash that is transported to the exhaust stack and filtered before being releasing to the outside air) can be used. For glass, ceramics and clay-based products, appropriate additives may be added to the cremation residue to adjust the composition of the mixture in order to produce a durable and stable product. Additives may also be added to impart color or other artifact to the product. In the case of composites, the ash will form the dispersive phase (or particles dispersion phase) and the matrix phase can be selected from variety of organic polymers, or inorganic cementaceous systems such as Portland cement or gypsum, or metallic systems such as aluminum, copper and other metal and alloys. The products fabricated according to the method of the present invention may still undergo other secondary processes such as cutting, grinding, shaping, coloring, etc. before becoming the final products. In another embodiment of the present invention ash is blended with a liquid or multiple of liquids and other solids. The resulting mixture can be used as paints, colorings, or shades to create work of arts such as paintings and alike, which solidify upon drying. Unlimited combinations and shapes can be produced from glass, ceramics, clay-based formulations, and various composites. In general, any shape and form that these solidified materials can take without the addition of ash are possible. A computer database may be employed to maintain all the pertaining information related to product and the deceased.
It is also possible to blend the residue with at least one liquid to form a functional, decorative product comprising at least one of a paint, colorant, shade, glazing, or combination thereof.
The residue may be defined by at least one of ashes and bone fragments. In other words, the residue may be selected from the group comprising ashes, bone fragments, and combinations thereof.
It is also possible to encapsulate the cremation residue in various materials instead of blending as described above. Accordingly the encapsulant can be selected from one or multiple of glass, ceramics, polymers, metals and paints.
The present invention is directed toward the production of solid objects, which are durable, and stable from the cremation residues of humans and animals.
Material objects in accordance with the present invention are made by solidifying the cremation residues, which are primarily or entirely inorganic. Amount of cremation ash needed for processing depends on the size, and number of finished products. Normally, small quantities are needed for single item products, from few grams to as much as several hundred grams. Since large quantities of residue remains after the cremation, large or multitude of products can be fabricated without any material shortage. The residue is normally heterogeneous; and it can be homogenized by conventional techniques such as milling, grinding and other homogenizing equipment. The residue may also contain organics and elemental carbon, which is formed by Pyrolysis of organic matters. If the carbon content is high, it may interfere with the solidification by glass melting or ceramic processing. For example if total carbon content of glass formulation is more than several wt %, foaming or reduction of glass may occur at high temperatures. If foaming or reduction become a problem, then the sample may be subjected to an initial heating in air or pure oxygen to oxidize the residual carbon. This is simply accomplished by placing the sample in an appropriate container such as a ceramic dish and heated in a furnace to about 600-1000xc2x0 C. for approximately several minutes to several hours depending on the temperature. The higher temperature requires shorter residence time. After heating the oxidized sample is removed from the furnace and is allowed to cool down. A post grinding may be required to finely divide the ash into a powdery material. The fine powder forms the precursor to all of the products fabricated according to the methods of the present invention. The term cremation ash will be used interchangeably with cremation residue throughout the text from now on. Cremation ash is normally rich in oxides of calcium and phosphors forming the mineral apatite Ca5(OH, F)(PO4)3. If a glassy product is desired, appropriate amounts of glass forming compounds will be added to the ash in order to produce a stable and durable glass. The most important component of stable phosphate glasses is Al (PO3)3. Therefore, addition of Al2O3 as an additive to the sample is used to promote a stable glass formulation. Other conventional glass forming additives such as silica SiO2, boron oxide B2B3 and alkali oxides such as Na2O, K2O, and Li2O can be added extend the glass-forming region of the sample. Glass coloring agents can be added to the mixture to impart various colors to the final glassy product. For instance copper oxide can be added to impart a ruby color to the product. Conventional electric or gas-fired kilns can be used to melt the glass. The sample and additives are mixed together using conventional techniques such as ball milling or mixing in a mortar and pestle. The mixture is then charged in either a metallic (such as platinum) or a ceramic crucible and melted to above its melting temperature. Melting temperature is generally kept below 1500xc2x0 C., preferably, below 1400xc2x0 C.; thus inexpensive ceramic crucibles such as clay crucibles can be used. Melting temperature is affected by types and quantities of additives mixed with the cremation ash.
In one other embodiment with glass, molten glass can be used to encapsulate the cremation residue. However, this method requires calcination of the residue to completely remove any carbonaceous or organic mater, other wise bubbles will form around the residue, which reduce the strength of the final product.
Alternatively, numerous ceramic formulations can be made with the sample. In addition, many glass-ceramic compositions can be formulated which contain both amorphous glass and crystalline phases. According to the preferred method of the present invention, ceramic products can be fabricated from variety of ceramic systems, including porcelain, alumina, alumino-silicates, mullite, cordierite, and zirconates. The major criteria for selection is ease of processing, durability, dimensional stability, and low cost. The porcelain system is the most preferred ceramic system. Ceramic processing is carried out by first blending the ash with the ceramic raw materials in a blender, mill or a grinder. The blend is optionally mixed with a ceramic binder such as polyvinyl alcohol and then pressed in a die to the desired shape. The shapes are normally geometrical by uniaxial pressing. However, complex shapes can be easily attained by hydrostatic pressing. The ceramic piece is subsequently transferred into a furnace and is fired to around 800-1200xc2x0 C. to form a consolidated (dense) ceramic object which is strong and durable. Firing can be done in an electric or a gas fired furnace. Other means of heating can also be used such as microwave, infrared, or induction heating.
The ceramic fabrication method according to the present invention can easily be automated for high volume production. Examples of such automated systems can be found in tiles and ceramic ware manufacturing plants. In addition, the ceramic pieces produced by the method of the present invention can be glazed or decorated in various ways. The most common procedure is to fire the piece without a glaze to sufficiently high temperature to induce sintering, and then a glaze is applied and fired at low temperatures. Another method is to fire the piece initially to a low temperature xe2x80x9cbisque firexe2x80x9d, then apply the glaze and sinter the piece and the glaze at a higher temperature. A third method is to apply the glaze to the unfired piece and heat them together in a one-fire process. All glazing process can be automated for high volume production.
In another embodiment in accordance with the present invention, base oxides can be added to the ash to formulate ceramic materials. For example, Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2, CaO, MgO, etc will produce stable ceramic formulations. Cremation ash can be incorporated with these oxide to produce stable and durable ceramics. Other conventional ceramic forming oxides such as TiO2, BaO, etc. can be added to increase the green body strength and shaping characteristics.
Clay bodies can be made from the cremation ash in accordance with the present invention. There are numerous methods and additives to produce acceptable and high quality clay formulations. Clay has some unique characteristics that make it possible to form products with almost any shapes and forms. The shaped object hardens as it dries, and when subjected to sufficient heat, it partially vitrifies and becomes almost indestructible. The clay based products produced by the preferred method of invention uses mostly ready mix formulations such as earthenware, stoneware, and special bodies such as Raku or Porcelain. The advantage of ready mix formulations is to shorten the turn around time for clay products. However, powdered clay products such as red and white earthenware, bone china, and stoneware can be blended with the ash into a plastic body (i.e. shapeable) prior to the forming processes. Clay based materials like ceramic products can be shaped by pressing, however, because of possessing a plastic nature they can be shaped by free hand forming (or hand building) techniques or using conventional clay throwing wheels and machines. The cremation ash is preferably calcined and ground before clay based formulation to increase the strength and durability of the product. The firing temperatures for clay products are generally in the same range of ceramic products, normally between 1000-1200xc2x0 C. Glazing of clay products can be done by the same techniques used for ceramics as described previously.
Cementaceous products incorporate the ash sample into a cementaceous mixture. By far this class of products is the easiest to fabricate, and probably the fastest to turn around. The prime candidates for cementaceous products are Portland cement, magnesia based, plasters, lime cements, phosphate based cements, alumina-based cements, pottery cements, and pozzolanic cementing systems. The proportioning of the sample material and the cement body can vary from several wt % of sample to more than 90%, depending on type of cement used, and the final product durability, stability, and other physical and chemical properties. Small addition of plasticizers such as melamine or naphthalene can be used with water to improve the workability of the cementaceous mixtures. Prior to hydration, ash and cement are intimately mixed and preferably ground together. Easy molding of cementaceous mixture permits to generate many shapes and forms. Cementaceous materials are normally set and hardened at room temperature, and thus firing to high temperatures is not required.
Cremation ash polymer matrix produced by the method of the present invention includes nearly all-commercial thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Conventional simple casting for both types of polymers can be used. The sample materials can be added in a appropriate proportions that may vary from several wt % to more than 90%, again depending on the final product durability, stability, and other physical and thermal properties.
Commercially available thermoplastic polymers such as polystyrene, polypropylene acrylics, and nylon beads are mixed with ash, heated and cast into various shapes. The turn around time is relatively short. Colorants in the form of pigments and dyes can be added to impart various colors. Injection molding system for the thermoplastic type polymer matrix can be utilized, the cycle time for this process is very short normally within the range of 10 to 30 seconds, which allows for large commercial production rates. Equally, commercially used thermoset polymers such as epoxies, phenolics, and polyesters, can be used to fabricate hard and impact resistance products. Simple casting can be used to fabricate polymer matrix composites, and automation for large production rates can be achieved by compression and transfer molding. Complex geometries can be achieved by this method. One preferred method of the present invention, uses epoxy filled metal powders and the cremation ash to fabricate solid composites, which can be readily machined after hardening into various shapes and forms.
In other related embodiments according to the present invention, cremation residue can be heterogeneously encapsulated in ceramics, clay-products, cementaceous products, and polymers. It must be noted that the heterogeneous encapsulation is less preferred than the homogenous formulations described above, since cremation residue remains as a discrete phase. But nevertheless it can be used in the cases that homogenous formulation is less likely to produce products in a timely and inexpensive manner. In heterogeneous encapsulation, total destruction of carbonaceous residues may not be required.
Powder metallurgy fabrication technique is the preferred choice to produce metal matrix ash composites according to the present invention. Metal matrix composites have all the characteristics of metals, except they contain a dispersed phase of fine ash in their make up. Cremation ash is finely grounded and is added to the metal of choice, normally in the powdery form. However, molten metal can be cast or poured around a solid piece of ash material to encapsulate it. Metal matrix products according to the present invention can include ferrous and non ferrous metals such as tin, aluminum, zinc, copper, titanium, silver, gold, platinum, and their alloys such as sterling silver, brass, bronze, etc. It must be noted that other commonly used fabrication methods such as forging, rolling, extrusion, drawing, and all casting methods such as sand, die, and investment castings may be used to fabricate metal ash composites. In the most preferred embodiment according to the present invention powder metals and fine ash are mixed at room temperature and shaped into a form, preferably by pressing. This step is very similar to forming ceramic bodies. Binders may be used to produce stronger green objects. The metal matrix ash composite is then subjected to the sintering temperature of the metal used which is normally below the melting temperature of the metal. During the heating period, the atmosphere around the object being sintered needs to kept reducing (absence of oxygen as much as possible) to minimize oxidation of the metal phase. Nobel metals such as platinum, silver, gold and other metals such as tin and lead can be sintered in air since they have low affinity for oxidation.
According to the preferred method of the present invention the ash particles should be kept below 100 mesh most preferably below 200 mesh to produce strong composites having a fine microstructure and free of large voids. In another embodiment ash can be added to molten metals or vise versa. In almost all cases the molten metal and ash are not miscible and ash will float over the top of the molten metal even in the case of aluminum which has a density of about 2.7 grams/cm3. In this case after cooling, the composite may be cold worked to make the ash to become filly or partially embedded into the metal matrix. Another embodiment is to pour or cast molten metal around a solid piece of ash (may be pre-sintered by ceramic or clay processing) to cause encapsulation of ash in the metal matrix. Among the metals testes tin was the easiest to work with at its molten state since it has a good resistance to oxidation in air and low melting temperature at or below 300xc2x0 C. Aluminum melts at about 660xc2x0 C. (must be melted under reducing conditions), copper melts around 1090xc2x0 C., and needs to be kept reduced. Silver and gold are good candidates too, both have melting temperatures below 1200xc2x0 C. and are resistive to air oxidation. Bronze, brass, and sterling silver are among many metallic alloys that can be used for composite formulation. The final product formed either by solid state sintering or melting can be machined into various shapes and forms.
Paint made from cremation ash is produced by mixing ash with paints (such as: ceramic based paint, oil based paint, acrylic based paint and water based paint), colorants, or various shades. For the sake of clarity the paint made from the cremation ash is termed xe2x80x9cAsh-Paintxe2x80x9d throughout the text. The ash-paint applies to both liquid and solid compounds made from ash and any other material(s) that ordinary is used to impart colors or shades to any object. The amount of ash added to the paint can vary from less than one wt % to as much as 50-70 of wt %. According to the preferred method of the present invention 1-20 wt % of fine cremation ash is thoroughly blended with a typical liquid or paste like paint or glazing. The resulting mixture can be brushed, sprayed, dipped, poured or applied by any other non limiting techniques to create a marking on a surface. The marking can be in the form of drawing, coating, painting, glazing or any combination thereof. In a preferred way of performing the present invention, the surface is one of paper, metal, glass, ceramics, plastics, skins, canvas, textile, wood, and any other material. It is also possible to mix the ash first with coloring compounds in the solid state, and then add appropriate liquid (s) or other solids to provide a suitable ash-paint product. It must be noted that the present invention does not set any limitation in making an ash-paint product from the cremation ash. Anyone skilled in mixing solids or solids with liquids should be able to use the method of the present invention to generate paint like product from cremation ash. The term ash-paint also applies to coatings which can be applied both in solid or liquid states on various surfaces. The ash paint made by the method of the present invention can be applied to other objects that contain cremation ash made by other methods of the present invention. For instance, clay based bodies made with cremation ash, can be glazed with ash containing glazes.
Table 1 summarizes the average processing times and major processing steps for various products fabricated according to the methods of the present invention:
All the objects made according to the methods of the present invention can be post identified through a controlled computerized database. This could be done for example by assigning individual bar code for each product. The bar codes upon recognition by a secure network can reveal various information related to the product, such as date of fabrication, percentage of cremation ash, type of process, and optionally personalized information about the deceased.